Modifying the Cold Steel Trail Hawk, an instructional...
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Shambling Shaman
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Well mine arrived at noon.
Cleaned off the paint, polished it up a bit, worked the handle a bit, drilled out the threading, made a symmetrical hole on the other side and then inlaid with some brass.
Phase one complete.
Cleaned off the paint, polished it up a bit, worked the handle a bit, drilled out the threading, made a symmetrical hole on the other side and then inlaid with some brass.
Phase one complete.
Shambling Shaman
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
This looks fantastic, I may have to get one of these just to try this out for myself!
Really looking forward to the next steps.
Really looking forward to the next steps.
Part 2 updated. 
Click here to go to part 2.
I was going to do part 3 tomorrow, but I'm waiting for a fresh batch of ferric chloride crystals. The soup that I have is heavily contaminated with copper and has been copper plating everything of late - I dont want this axe to be any more orange than it is intended to be, so I'm going to wait for the crystals to arrive before continuing. They have been on order a week now, so shouldn't be long. They may even come tomorrow.
Click here to go to part 2.
I was going to do part 3 tomorrow, but I'm waiting for a fresh batch of ferric chloride crystals. The soup that I have is heavily contaminated with copper and has been copper plating everything of late - I dont want this axe to be any more orange than it is intended to be, so I'm going to wait for the crystals to arrive before continuing. They have been on order a week now, so shouldn't be long. They may even come tomorrow.
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How do you find the hawk in general? Aside from the fun modding it, you thin k it'll be a good tool for you? Whatcha got planned then?
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If you have power tools, it takes no time. So far I reckon maybe an hour, tops, excluding waiting for the Nitromors to do it's thing. It certainly took longer to write up than it did to do the work.
I can see there being a bit of a run on these in the new year - could be my next project!
Thanks Martyn .... inspirational thread.
N
Thanks Martyn .... inspirational thread.
N
How do you find the hawk in general? Aside from the fun modding it, you think it'll be a good tool for you? Whatcha got planned then?
It reminds me of my favourite axe, which was a short boarding axe that now lives with my pirate gear.
That's part of what attracted me to it.
The haft is a bit of an odd shape in the hand, a bit edgy if you know what I mean. I think I'm going to shorten it as I tend to throttle it a bit in use. I'll also alter the geometry of the edge slightly and take a bit out of the belly.
The hammer poll should be more useful than the spike as I don't have to board many ships the hard way any more.
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I do know what you mean, it's very oval, I just sanded mine till it was comfortable. I also agree the handle is better, shorter. I think I took about 3 inches off my other one and about an inch off the top and it changes the balance dramatically - it's much quicker and more natural, though it does remove any 2 handed functionality you might have had and make it a truly one-handed hatchet. You need to leave some meat on the top for the handle to "creep" and it's a good idea to fully seat the handle before chopping the haft though. I think new handles are about £14 quid.
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